


Slow Town

by totallynotjohngreen



Category: The Outsiders (1983), The Outsiders - All Media Types, The Outsiders - S. E. Hinton
Genre: AU, Gen, M/M, No Smut, i'll make it hurt anyway dont worry, this is an au where johnny didnt die in the fire
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-15
Updated: 2018-04-26
Packaged: 2018-12-30 00:18:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12096561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/totallynotjohngreen/pseuds/totallynotjohngreen
Summary: When Johnny Cade stabbed Bob, he never expected all of this to happen. Through Ponyboy being hospitalized, the court hearing, and a rumble, Johnny will need to keep hold on his life, and he'll definitely need the help of his gang.(AU that starts with Dally not coming to pick them up to go to Dairy Queen. Ponyboy sustained a non-fatal blow to the head in the burning church, neither Johnny nor Dally dies. Don't worry, there's still some angst to keep it fun.)





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fic I started on my tumblr. Find me @moonlights-angel there for updates and new installments before I remember to post them here!! If anything hurts y'all or there's something you're not ok with, I will tag/omit it/change it. I love y'all!
> 
> Find the original here: https://moonlights-angel.tumblr.com/post/159750356573/slow-town

“I- I killed him. I killed that boy…”

The words echoed through Johnny’s head as he sat in a tree outside the church in Windrixville with Ponyboy. He still had that damned switch in his pocket too. Blast it, he was just going to give himself up. That’s all he could do. He started to get down from the tree, not even going to tell Ponyboy what he was doing, when he noticed. The church. Oh god…

The church was burning. 

There was screaming from inside.

He yelled out to Pony and ran for it. Pony was faster, and got there first, climbing in and grabbing a kid. “Take ‘er, Johnny, c’mon!” They formed a bucket brigade line of sorts. Johnny’s arms were feeling hot, but he didn’t care. Pony handed him the last kid and made a move to climb out, but then…the ceiling…”Pony! Look out!”

He didn’t jump in time.

“Pony!”

Johnny didn’t think twice but to jump in the window and try to pull Pony out. He couldn’t lift the beam. Fire blazed up around him as he tried to pull the kid from under it. Then, a hand grabbed him and yanked him back. Dallas. “Ey, Johnny, you alright kid? Go over with everyone else, I’m getting Pony!” Johnny tried to stand but felt a sharp pain. His arms. He took a look at them. “Glory be…” They were badly burnt. He sighed.

The ambulance had taken Pony, but Dally had hidden Johnny, not to starve him of medical attention, but because the law was still out. “Found an abandoned cabin in the woods. Wanna stay out there? They’re havin’ some kinda hearing for you, but I’ll be damned if I let you stay one blasted day in the slammer, y’hear me Johnny? Don’t be getting any ideas.” Johnny nodded. He’d stay in the cabin until the hearing. Or at least, until he could see Ponyboy Curtis.


	2. Part 2

“Dally, what if they arrest him?”

“They won’t arrest someone who’s dying.”

“DALLY!”

“Sorry. Bein’ honest.”

“Be a little less honest.”

Both Dallas and Johnny fell silent as they drove to Dally’s little hideaway. When they arrived, Dally showed Johnny inside. “Cigs and some supplies on the counter, food ‘n drink in the cooler, you’ll be here a while, kid.” Johnny nodded as Dallas walked out the door. He found another thing on the counter, Gone With the Wind. Dally must have saved it. As he looked at the dog-eared page, Johnny remembered just two days ago.

“Wanna read it, Johnny?” Pony had handed him the book, noticing his fidgeting. Johnny nodded, and began the book, reading out loud, but stuttering and stumbling over words. He wasn’t a very good reader. “Aw, Pony, please can’t you read? I’m no good at it.” Pony nodded kindly and took the book from him, his grey-green eyes (more green than he would have liked, honestly) shining as he flourished with the words and such. Johnny took special notice in those Southern Gentlemen, strong guys, guys he wished would stick around him. But looking at Pony, Johnny had realized: he did have a Southern Gentleman sticking around.

Johnny snapped back to present, sighing. He put the book down. Reading was no fun without Ponyboy Curtis.

Johnny slept and stayed in that cabin for a straight week. It seemed Dally had neglected, or even forgotten him. He was bored out of his mind and reduced to drawing with the ashes in the fireplace, when Dally slammed in the door. “Johnny! C’mon, kid!” Johnny bolted up and ran to Dally, a question in his eyes. “He’s been asking for you, squirt. Wants to see ya.” Johnny’s eyes almost glistened with tears. His best friend was asking for him. “What’d the doctors say got hurt?”

“Damn, I dunno kid, do I look like a doctor to you?” Dally laughed. “Just get in the car. We gotta hurry before hours close down.”

“He’s ok, right?”

“Gettin’ better. Been askin’ every day just to see you. Making sure you’re alright I guess-“ Dally rubbed the back of his neck and

Johnny’s smile could not be matched by any other as Dally sped down the road with his crazy curb-jump driving, on to see Pony in the hospital.


	3. Part 3

Dally drove over the speed limit, jumping curbs like he usually did. He whooped and hollered, mostly to cheer Johnny up. The kid looked like shit, sad and bemoaning his fate as he went back to town. “Y’know, uh, they’re trying to pass you off as acting in defense.” 

“That ain’t gon’ work, Dal, we’re up against the socs, not Tim Shepard.”

“Well, the boys thought it was worth a try. Ain’t no one wanna see you jailed, Johnny Cade.” He nodded. Johnny took off his jean jacket with that rusty colored stain, revealing his still-burnt arms. “Damn, kid, why the hell didn’t you say anything? Motherfucker, Darry’s gonna have my head.” Dally sighed.

 

They pulled up to the hospital, Johnny shaking. Dally clapped his shoulder. “Come on, kid, we’ll do it together.” They went in to Pony.

He was hooked up to monitors. Johnny ran straight to him. “Ponyboy! Hey, how you doin?” The other boy smiled painfully. “Doc says I hit my head pretty hard, broke my ribs too. Be out tomorrow, though. Have to take easy.” He rolled his eyes, and Johnny smiled. Darry and Soda walked in to see their brother, smiling delightedly when they saw Johnny was there too, and hugging him. “Can’t wait til I don’t have to hide anymore.”

“You can stay with us.”

Johnny shook his head. “That ain’t safe.”

Pony croaked up again. “Then I’ll stay with you.”

“That ain’t safe either.” 

Pony sighed. “I can handle it,” he started, but Johnny cut him off. “You stay with your blood family. I’m not taking you from them again, and ain’t half the world got it as good as you. You stay with them!” He almost yelled, storming into the hall. Darry and Soda followed, leaving Pony laying in bed guiltily, Dal watching grimly.

“Johnny, please just come home with us tonight. We ain’t lookin for our kid brother’s best friend to get jumped and killed.”

Johnny finally agreed. He stayed the night with the two elder Curtises. In the morning, Soda went to get Pony. When he got home, Johnny was the first to meet him.

“I’m sorry, Pone.” Pony shook his head. “Ain’t on you. It’s me should be sorry.”

“Still.” Johnny hesitated before hugging him. Ponyboy sat there in surprise a minute before hugging him back.

They frittered the day away, Johnny sighing because he had to go back home to check on his parents. Their farewells were light. “I’ll see you tomorrow for the hearing, Pone.”

“Always be there for ya, Johnny Cade. You come back here if you need anything, now, y’hear?”

Johnny smiled and walked off to his house.

Only to run back almost crying the next morning, hugging his arms to himself and rapping heavily on the front door of the Curtis house.


	4. Part 4

"Ponyboy! Pony, wake up!" Johnny had run into his friend's room, looking panicked. Pony sat up fast and fell out of bed. "Hey! I'm awake! Johnny?" His voice changed as he saw the tears running down his buddy's face. "P-pone, my parents yelled at me. Th-they said that if I survive the hear-hearing, they're givin' me up for adoption." It took a second for this to register to Pony, before his face fell as well. "Johnny, no...no! Those...those.." He cut off, pulling Johnny into a hug. "W-we could adopt you."

"No y'can't. Takes money. And Darry can barely keep up with you 'n Soda."

Pony bit his lip. He knew Johnny was right. "Wherever they put ya, I-I'll visit you. Every- every day." Johnny sighed. "I hope I don't make it through. I ain't lookin' to move away from ya! You're the best I ever got!" Pony sighed and just hugged the sobbing Johnny to him, trying to ignore the tears running down his own face. "Don't talk that way, Johnny Cade, y'hear? You'll be ok. We'll be ok." Suddenly the door swung open, and Two-Bit's voice echoed through the halls. "Morning, Curtises!" The two younger boys made no sound as two sets of footsteps traveled to Pony's room, revealing Dally and Two-Bit. "...Johnny? Pony? What is it? What's wrong?" Pony explained best he could for Johnny, and Dally's face hardened. "Those bitches. I'll kill them both." Johnny shook his head. "Please don't, Dal...please..." Dallas cussed as he stormed out to the kitchen, Two-Bit following and spewing apologies. Johnny stared into Pony's eyes. 

"I....I love you, Ponyboy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I'm leaving it there. My only motivation to write this chapter so soon at all was a comment I got. But I literally have no energy!! So >:)


	5. Part 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back again with moooooooooore content!! Yeah, I've been reading a lot of Teen Wolf fics as I finish 6b and have taken no time to update my own, but I'm here now, and I hope y'all get what you're looking for!
> 
> Warning: cuss words!

* * *

 

Johnny looked back on the past 12 hours of his life.

 

First, he'd gotten his Pony back, out of the hospital, then spent the afternoon with him. He smiled, remembering it vividly. Pony had read to him, a boring old book with something about the ocean and an old man, but he was with Pony, and that was what mattered. He'd walked home and almost gotten jumped by a few socs for what happened to their big buddy. He'd been about to fight back, when a voice had scared them off. 

_"Hey, assholes. No bumps before the Rumble." There was no distinction between hood or greaser in this voice. The socs grumbled. "C'mon, bud, cut some slack. He might not even make it to the rumble!"_  
  
_"Trust me, he will. Now get into your pretty little cars and drive or ill put a shoe up your asses, ya hear?" The socs ran at the tone in the hood's voice. Johnny just turned. "I can fend for myself."_  
  
_"I know." Out walked none other than Dallas Winston himself. Johnny's face brightened instantly. "Dally!"_  
  
_"Hey, Cade." He nodded to him, ignoring Johnny's faint "sorry"._  
  
  
_"S'okay. C'mon." The tall greaser shoved his hands in his pockets, walking side by side with him. Johnny looked to be boiling over about something before he finally let it out._  
  
_"Pony don't get it, do he? He don't get it. Takin' human life...I almost feel I deserve jail. Or death. I can't stand this shit anymore, Dally, just can't. Same old shit, we never win. Only way I get out is dying, cus I ain't smart enough or strong enough to work."_  
  
_"Think I ain't ever been in a murder rap? I know how you feel. And even though you don't think so, you saved a life. Pony's life. On top of that, you saved all those lil kids. They'd be dead, too, if it weren't for you."''_  
  
_"Pony don't get it, Dally, he just don't. I hope they whip me good in the rumble. They deserve payback."_

_"I think we're gonna win this one. I can feel it."_  
  
_Johnny contemplated that before speaking. "Storm's a'brewing."_  
  
_"We're strong. Together, y'know. Heh," Dally chuckled, "I never thought anyone would'a ever caught me sayin' I needed teamwork. Pansy I am for you bunch'a idiots." The seventeen year old tried to hide his smile._

_"Aight, aight, softy. Don't be carryin' any heaters, though, Bitsy would never forgive ya if you got caught with one."_  
  
_"Might be a lil late for that." He gestured to the waist of his pants, just under his jacket. "it ain't loaded." This was met by a gasp from Johnny. "The cops don't know that! Give it here, I'll throw it somewhere."_  
  
_"I'm keepin it. S'good bluff."_

_"Dally, what kinda idiot you think I am? Cop sees you with that, you're dead before you even look up!"_

_"Shut up, Cakes, I ain't gotta be policed by a sixteen year old with a switchblade in his pocket." At this, Johnny had sighed. He knew there was no winning against Dally. "Besides, I'm untouchable, remember?" the other greaser joked._

_"Aight, whatever. S'your funeral."_

  
_"Careful's my middle name." He joked again. Some of Two-Bit's smart talk had rubbed off, no doubt._

  
_"Can it, Winston. We're here." They had, in fact, arrived at Johnny's house. Dally nodded and sighed. "You come on over to the Curtises' if you have a problem, okay? Ill be, uh..." The tough guy looked awkward now._

  
_"I promise. You'll be with Two-Bit."_  
  
_"Yeah." He smiled a bit, regaining composure. "Night, Johnnycakes"_  
  
_"Night." Johnny had waved, and then walked into his house and faced the storm._

 

* * *

 

 

He sighed, coming out of the memory as Two-Bit handed him a plate of chocolate cake. "Eat up now, Johnny. Ain't gon' have you fallin' over yourself during the hearing."

 

Johnny ate his cake.

 

 

 


End file.
